Take a moment to visualize a negotiation. What type of scenario did you imagine? What did the negotiator look like? What was their communication style? … Read more
4 Steps to Managing Tough Conversations During COVID-19
Do your stakeholders and team members have the communication skills necessary to succeed in this unprecedented time? Do they know how to artfully and … Read more
How to Communicate With Employees During Crisis
During a time of crisis like the Coronavirus pandemic, people’s attention splinters from work to the all-encompassing chaos of what’s happening … Read more
4 Tactics to Speak Up and Hold the Floor Long Enough to Make Your Point
When others conclude that you rarely speak up, your career stalls. The ability to command attention and build a case are attributes closely associated with … Read more
How to Help Employees Who Are Depressed or Suicidal
Dr. Lorna M. Breen, a top ER doctor who treated virus patients in a Manhattan hospital, recently died by suicide. According to her father, her job treating … Read more
Remote Work Isn’t the Time to Overlook Engagement and Connection
Microsoft recently set the standard for prioritizing company connectedness in a time of fully remote work. The tech giant managed to pull off a historic, … Read more
Compassion and Communication: This Moment Will Define Your Business for Years
The world is navigating uncharted territory, and a new normal is emerging. All of us are having to adjust to the way we live at levels we would never have … Read more
To Talk or Write? A Critical Communication Decision—Part 2
Last week’s column presented seven reasons to write rather than talk to your employees, suppliers, and strategic partners: Allows time to re-read and … Read more
To Talk or Write? A Critical Communication Decision (Part 1)
The US has just come through a political minefield—most referencing texts, emails, phone calls, and meetings as proof of either guilt or innocence, … Read more
Putting Employees at Ease to Question Policies and Other Changes
If salespeople learn anything about selling, they understand this foundational truth: Questions lead to customers. The customer who asks no questions … Read more
Communicating During Stressful Times: Tips from a Forensic Interviewer
There is no escaping the fact that HR often becomes the organizational epicenter during times of crisis. The minute things start to go wrong, everyone … Read more
6 Tips to Communicate Complex Policies
Change almost always meets resistance. If all policies met a receptive audience, you’d be working in Utopia. So if you’re up for dealing with … Read more
6 Steps to Effectively Pitch Ideas to Your Executive Team
“Never got a response to my email.” “They never followed through on my recommendation.” “I’d definitely like to have a seat at the table when that issue … Read more
What HR Communicators Can Learn From Governor Cuomo
Every day now, New York’s Governor Andrew Cuomo spends an hour or more before the press and television cameras, detailing horrifically bad and frightening … Read more
How Leaders Can Show Empathy During Uncertain Times
Now, more than ever, employees are looking for empathetic leaders. Leaders who are not afraid to be human, show emotion, and provide varying levels of … Read more
Helping Managers Coach Their Teams to Greater Career Success
Millennials aren’t the only generation that demands frequent feedback and expects to advance quickly up the career ladder. In fact, HR typically sets this … Read more
Even Poor Leadership Communication Offers Lessons in the Time of Coronavirus
There are plenty of writers supplying a takedown of the communicator-in-chief’s ability to galvanize the nation on how we combat this novel threat, … Read more
Fostering Resilience During Uncertainty: How HR Leaders Can Support Team Communication and Connection During Social Distancing
Effective team communication is always important, but it is now imperative as more people begin working from home or other remote locations to reduce … Read more
Keeping Your Communication Professional As You Work From Home
The national crisis surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic has sent many employees home to work remotely. Unlike those who already work from home routinely, the … Read more
How to Get Cocky Leaders to Consider a Different Viewpoint
Seriously, play along with me for a moment. Try these two brainteasers for yourself before reading ahead for the answers—and the point: What’s the next … Read more